"Locals supposedly call the Good Friday penitents “kandarapa.” The
mortification ritual is part of the kandarapa's “panata” or religious
pledge, often made either in the bid to make God forgive or their sins
or to ask for some difficult favor for themselves or some loved ones.
The ritual serves as a reenactment of the passion of Jesus Christ while
on the way to his crucifixion. The prostrate move, with arms
outstretched and legs held straight together, symbolizes Christ's
crucifixion on the cross."